As the most profitable corporation in history, ExxonMobil knows something about business success, but as any successful corporation demonstrates, success can't be simply boiled down to an innovative business plan, nor can success depend on responding to public needs or even on offering a superior product. Many would-be success stories in the business world have fallen by the wayside as the result of overlooking the importance of building strong and reciprocal government relationships. ExxonMobil has learned that in the corporate world often what separates the wheat from the chaff or better the crude from the refined is an intelligent and savvy public relations plan accompanied by a solid results-based political contribution strategy. Despite many calls for "deregulation" in the business world and mainstream media, ExxonMobil knows that it takes a strong relationship with government to effectively direct tax revenue to the private sector. Without the help of loyal politicians and obedient consumers and taxpayers around the world ExxonMobil would not be the goliath that it is today. Business philosophies will come and go, but as ExxonMobil knows well, it is only when businesses cultivate enduring relationships with government can we expect to effectively place public resources into private hands. ExxonMobil owes much of its success in its simple recognition of the corporation for what it is and what it is meant to be: An ingenious device for obtaining private profit without the hindrance of social responsibility. We put our hearts and souls into achieving this ideal.